The Wesen Game
by Anycma
Summary: This picks up right at the end of the S4 Finale. How will events continue to unfold for Nick, Adalind and gang? What happened to Diana? What role will the new child play in the Grimm-Wesen landscape? Containers spoilers up to last episode of Season 4. All characters owned by NBC networks.
1. Chapter 1: The night

**The Wesen Game**

 **Chapter 1: The Night**

Adalind sat quietly at the kitchen table, pushing around yet another piece of pie that Bud offered her. Being pregnant meant that hunger pangs came on suddenly and disappeared just as so. The chicken pot pie which looked so heavenly just minutes ago was not quite as appetizing now. Next to her, Bud was pouring himself another cup of coffee, giving up on any idea of sleep. It had been a long night and neither of them were able to wind down. Nick and the gang had left about two hours before, and their recounting of the gruesome events at the royals' mansion was unnerving to say the least. Especially for Bud. Adalind was pleased that Kenneth met his maker—that bastard deserved it—but her mind kept wandering to her daughter and what it all meant now that she was in royal hands.

A knock on the door sent Bud into full Eisbieber mode. He darted quickly across the room to pick up his bat and and tiptoed toward the door, all the while motioning for Adalind to get back to the bedroom.

"Bud! It's Rosalee. Open the door!"

Heaving a sigh of relief, Bud looked out peephole just the same to make sure it was in fact her. Rosalee rushed in as soon as the door was cracked open. "It's over. She's dead."

"Who is dead?" asked Adalind, pushing her chair back and pulling herself up unsteadily. Bud scurried over to help her. By the way he looked, Adalind thought he might just have a heart attack.

Rosalee sat down on the couch and cradled her head in her hands. Adalind went over and sat down next to her. Rosalee was in her pajamas and slippers, her hair still tousled from sleep and now wet from the drizzling rain outside. She looked so tired and small to Adalind.

"Juliette," Rosalee finally replied.

"How? What? Where is Diana?" Adalind fired away, while Bud, unable to contain his mix of emotions, woged and quickly unwoged at the news. Distraught and relieved, he dropped his bat and sank down to the floor.

Rosalee stood up and gestured for Adalind to follow. "I've come to take you to our house. Nick, Trubel and a few other people are there. I'll explain on the way."

On the car ride over, Rosalee filled Adalind up on what she knew about the last two hours. She told Adalind how the soft rap on the door sent Monroe leaping out of bed. How they opened the door to see Trubel standing next to a catatonic Nick, and half a dozen men and women dressed head to toe in black.

Trubel stepped in and said matter-of-factly, "Juliette's gone. I had to kill her at Nick's house." Monroe and Rosalee had not known how to respond. Both shot a glance at Nick, who remained expressionless as he and the rest of the people filed into the house. One of the women introduced herself as Agent Chavez from the FBI. She had asked Rosalee to pick up Adalind, while Monroe was sent to pick up Sean Renard.

When they arrived at Rosalee's house, Adalind felt nervous at the prospect of facing Nick. What would she say to him? Honestly, she was happy that Juliette was gone. She had been living in constant fear the past few days and she felt like she could finally relax for a second. But without her powers, she could not really let her guard down. She still needed Nick. To protect and provide for her son before and after he arrives. What was Nick even feeling at this moment, she wondered. She knew how much Nick had loved Juliette. But also how much Juliette had betrayed him. Nevertheless, Adalind had played a huge hand in all the events that had transpired over the past few months. She really did not mean for things to turn out the way they did and decimate Nick's personal world. But would he believe her? Should she be apologetic? Sad? Would her empathy feel contrived and be counterproductive? Should she just lay low and let him grieve alone for a while?

Adalind was surprised when she walked into the house. It was so unexpectedly… crowded. There were at least ten people there, most of whom Adalind did not know, standing in groups of twos and threes, speaking in hushed tones. When the door closed behind Rosalee, the din of murmur came to an abrupt stop.

Adalind took a quick glance around the room. Monroe was already back with Renard, who was sitting rather uncomfortably on the couch, his long legs cramped against the coffee table. Hank was also there, standing by the dining table, a cup of coffee in his hands. Next to him, a woman in a mahogany leather jacket turned around and said, "Adalind Schade."

Adalind took a seat next to Sean, and replied, "Um, yes, and who are you?"

"I'm Agent Chavez of the FBI. But here, I guess I should talk to you in my capacity as a member of the Resistance."

"What's happening?" Adalind asked, searching the faces of those around her. She spotted Nick curled up on the floor by the window, staring off into space.

"Adalind, the Resistance has your daughter."

Adalind could almost feel her heart leap out of her throat. "You have Diana? Where is she? How?"

"We don't have her," Chavez replied.

"I don't understand. You just said that the Resistance had her and that YOU are the resistance. Where is she?"

"It's Meisner," said Sean, turning around to face Adalind. "The resistance intercepted the royal's calls for an airlift to the seaport. They…uh.. neutralized… the royal's helicopter crew and Meisner was dispatched to pick up my father and Diana."

"So he has her. Are they coming here now?"

"That's where things have gone a bit…wrong. Meisner was supposed to bring both of them to a safe house by the air space. But they never came."

"Does that mean he turned on the Resistance? Does he work for the royals?"

"Not exactly." Chavez said. "He killed the King."

"The King is dead?" Adalind cried out in disbelief.

"Appears he was shoved out of the helicopter," said Renard quiety, staring down at his hands. "It got called in at another precinct just an hour ago."

"And the FBI is taking over. The US government is now engaging private talks with the Royal family. For the sake of politics, humans and wesens, I'm guessing they will have him "die" under different circumstances back in his country."

It was a lot for Adalind to take in. What would Meisner want with her child? Where would he be taking her? In a way, it was a comfort to know the person who had Diana. At least there was a lead. But the anguish of losing her yet again slowly took over her shaking body.

"Killing the King was never part of the plan," said Renard. "We do not really know who Meisner is working with. It is likely that he has allied with the Freiheit faction in Germany, where the Resistance movement is geared towards the complete eradication of the royal families. The Freiheits have been alienating themselves from the rest of the resistance world for a while, claiming that we were not aggressive enough. "

Adalind let out a little gasp. Rosalee asked, as if she read Adalind's mind, "But Diana is royal. What would they do with her?"

"If they had wanted to kill Diana, they would have done so already. They must have other plans for her." Trubel chimed in. "I don't know much about this kid, but if Nick's mom was willing to die for her, we have to get her back."

The familiar feeling of hopelessness surged once again in Adalind's chest, zapping all the energy out of her. She felt dizzy all of a sudden. She rested her head on the back of the couch and vaguely heard Chavez and Sean discuss plans to track down Meisner, while Trubel and Hank whispered something about Juliette. That was the last thing she remembered before she drifted off to sleep or to unconsciousness, she really did not know which.


	2. Chapter 2: The morning

Chapter 2: The Morning

When she came to, it was morning. Late morning, it felt, from the way the sun was reaching deep into the room through the windows. She was still on the couch in Monroe and Rosalee's living room, but she was lying across it now, with a thick green blanket covering her body. She sat up and was surprised to see Nick curled up in the same spot where she last saw him. He appeared to be asleep and, just like Adalind, wrapped in a blanket.

Adalind pulled herself off the couch. She was hungry again. A little kick in her belly spurred her on towards the kitchen, where she found Monroe and Rosalee sitting at the table, with a huge pot of coffee and two steaming mugs.

"You're up!" said Rosalee. She quickly looked over Adalind's shoulder and continued in a hushed tone, "is Nick still asleep?"

Adalind nodded and slid into an empty chair. Monroe picked up a paper bag from the kitchen counter and offered it to her. "Muffins," he said. The grogginess of his voice suggested that he had not been awake that long either.

Adalind dove into her blueberry muffin and Rosalee told her about the rest of the night. Trubel, it turned out, had been working with Chavez all along, and along with the FBI team, have gone on to track down Meisner's whereabouts. Sean and Hank went back to the police headquarters to deal with the tremendous body count left in Nick's neighborhood. Including Juliette's.

"Nick will have to go into the precinct pretty soon too," said Monroe. "But we thought we'd let him have some rest before facing that."

"How are they going to explain what happened?" Adalind asked, licking crumbs off her fingers.

"I'm guessing something along the lines of ex-convict's revenge on cop. Killed his girlfriend, mom and neighbors to try and kill Nick, etc. etc." Monroe said, shaking his head. "The captain's got it all covered. Poor Nick. I cannot imagine the hell he is going through now."

Adalind felt sorry for Nick. She never really liked him, well, it never occurred to her that she would-he was a grimm. But over the past few days, she had come to see him as a genuinely good man. His gentleness towards her had been a surprise, and quite frankly, at times she had not known how to react to it. No one had ever taken care of her like this before. Well, even if he was only so out of concern for his child and not so much for her, Adalind was grateful.

The three were still sitting around the breakfast table, each lost in their own thoughts, when Nick walked into the kitchen.

"Nick," said Rosalee tenderly. "Come sit down and have something to eat."

Nick made no eye contact with anyone. "I'll be at the precinct." Without another word, he grabbed his jacket and left.

Adalind moved into Monroe and Rosalee's guest room that afternoon, as Bud's family was slated to return. Bud even sent a few pies along with Adalind's belongings, and she repaid him for his kindness with a peck on his cheek. Adalind laughed as the poor eisbeiber turned bright red and almost passed out.

"What happens now?" Bud had asked Adalind before he drove home. Adalind had given him a sly smile and said, "Do I think Nick and I would move in together and get married? I'm inclined to go with Rosalee on that one."

But as she sat on the bed in the guestroom, she wondered how else she could go on. She had no job, no money, no family and no roof over her head. But she was scared to approach Nick in his fragile state. What was she going to ask? "Hey, your girlfriend just died. And I had a lot to do with it. Let's move in together?"

She shook her head and laughed at the sheer ridiculousness of it. But then realized that this was the only logical lifeline at this moment. She laid down and laughed some more.

Over the next three days, Adalind rested at Monrosalee's. She did her best to keep up with the hunt for Diana through Monroe, who was kept up to speed by Hank. But there has been no news from the Trubel and Chavez team. Nick had gone radio silent and Monroe had to pry for information on him from Hank. Hank, however, seemed to be as in the in dark about Nick as Monroe was. According to Hank, Nick had only been coming in to answer questions for the "official" homicide investigation, but have mostly stayed away from work, with the blessing of the Captain. A worried Monroe had been over to Nick's house to check on him a couple of times, but he was never home.

By the end of the third afternoon, Nick showed up on the doorstep. "It's done. The memorial service for Juliette will be this coming weekend."

It was weird for Adalind to sit down with Nick, Rosalee and Monroe for dinner. Since she had announced her pregnancy to Nick, she had not had any down time with the grimm. Now that all immediate threats were eliminated, her alliance with Nick and his friends has become a voluntary decision. Adalind decided to breach the topic of her future. Now was as good a time as any.

Nick simply replied, "I'm selling the house. I can't live there anymore, not with everything that has happened. I'll look for a new place with two bedrooms and you'll come live with me for now. We'll figure the details out later after the baby is born."

And just like that, it was settled.


	3. Chapter 3: The new house

**Chapter 3: The New House**

It took about two weeks for Nick to find a new house. He decided to rent for now, until he could get his old home ready for sale. It would probably take a bit of time, especially since it was the center of a recent high-profile neighborhood massacre. The most beautiful thing about this rental was that it was only two blocks away from the spice shop. Since Nick was loath to leave Adalind alone at home during the day while he worked, Adalind walked to the spice shop every morning to spend her day helping Rosalee. Nick would pick her up on his way home at night.

Nick had shown zero interest in decorating the new place. Adalind and Rosalee had held a garage sale to get rid of all of Nick's old furniture. That, of course, was held at Rosalee's home to remove the furniture's any association with the cursed house. With the money from that and also Nick's credit card, Adalind had put that and her nesting instincts to good use. When she was done, nothing in that house contained a trace of either her or Nick's past—a not so subtle declaration of her desire to start anew.

By this time, Adalind was heavily pregnant. Her interactions with Nick at home have been minimal. He seemed to be avoiding her in the house most of the time. When she was in the living room, he would retreat to his bedroom. When she walked into the kitchen, he would slip outside for a walk. But Adalind took solace in the little things he did that suggested he cared, like leaving her favorite breakfast out on the counter every morning—a Voodoo donut shop lemon doughnut and a cup of decaf; calling in frequently to check in on her at Rosalee's and making sure she had enough money to go about her daily life. It must be difficult to be emotionally available to someone who was responsible for turning your life upside down, thought Adalind. She was fine with this arrangement, she supposed. At least she felt physically safe at the moment.

It was a particularly stormy night when Adalind heard a loud clang in the hallway. She waddled out of bed immediately, poking her head out the door to see a broken tree branch resting on the corridor skylight. Lucky it did not break the glass, Adalind thought, but better get Nick to take a look and make sure it wouldn't do more damage through the night.

She walked over to Nick's room and gently knocked on the door.

"Nick, are you up?"

No answer. Adalind cracked the door open and looked in. Nick was huddled in a fetal position at the foot of his bed.

"Nick?" Adalind tiptoed in. Nick just stared off into space, not acknowledging her presence. From his bloodshot eyes, it was clear that he had been crying. His bed did not appear to have been slept in since Adalind made it five days prior, when they first moved in.

"Nick…" Adalind said tenderly, reaching out for his arm. She could hear him breathing faster now, shallower. He pulled away just before Adalind could touch him. Adalind moved closer. Nick moved away. Adalind persisted, backing him into the corner of the room. She put her hands around his shoulders and pulled him in. He clenched his fists tight, resisting as hard as he could. Adalind just held him until she felt his fight melt away and became a broken doll in her arms. With his head resting against her belly, his sobs came in slowly, quietly, until it took over his body, shaking him. And shaking her. When he was finally done, Adalind pulled him onto the bed and laid down next to him. Nick slept soundly through the night—something Adalind suspected he hadn't done since the day she walked into the precinct.


	4. Chapter 4: The royal child

Chapter 4: The Royal Child

Meisner watched over the sleeping child as he poured himself a glass of whiskey. The motel room was small but cozy, and he was just happy to be able to stretch his legs after having spent days in a car. They were safe, at least for now, far enough from the reaches of the Verrat and the Resistance alike. He had killed his co-pilot as soon as they landed in the right outside of Seattle. He did not even bother shielding Diana from his gruesome act. That child was capable of so much more than what he did to the fellow.

Meisner was surprised by how cooperative Diana had been in their journey together so far. She had clearly recognized him and trusted him straight away. She had yet to speak a single word to him, but she had appeared content on their long car rides south, through Nevada and the Arizona desert. She even flashed him a huge grin when he tucked her in bed last night. Another sip of whiskey and Meisner turned off the light. Tonight he needed a good night's sleep. Tomorrow they would slip into Mexico.


	5. Chapter 5: The thaw

Chapter 5: The Thaw

The next morning, Adalind woke up to an empty bed. She found Nick in the kitchen and he poured her a cup of decaf as soon as she walked in.

"I'm driving you to your doctor's appointment." he said. And they carried on as if nothing happened the night before. But as the day went on, Adalind started to notice a change in Nick. He seemed more relaxed; his step was lighter; and Adalind could have sworn that Nick smiled a half-smile when the ultrasound technician turned on the mic to broadcast the baby's heartbeat.

"Any day now," the technician smiled.

Thank goodness, thought Adalind. This child could not come soon enough. Her ankles were swollen and her back sore beyond belief. Rosalee had been brewing all these herbs that were supposed to help with the bloating, but Adalind was not convinced that they did anything. Nonetheless, it was sweet of Rosalee, so Adalind just kept taking whatever potion she was given even if it tasted like tar.

After the check-up, Nick and Adalind stopped by a diner for lunch.

"What do you think we'll be dealing with?" asked Adalind over a bite of her turkey sandwich.

"What do you mean?"

"The baby. A Hexenbeist-Grimm baby. So is he going to woge in front of a mirror and scare himself straight? Should we just sign him up for a psychotherapist now? I mean, how does the Grimm thing work? Are you born seeing wesen or what?"

Nick smiled a real smile. "I honestly don't know how it works. I didn't know I was one until Aunt Marie came to town."

"You didn't know you were a Grimm until a few years ago?"

"You were my first woge."

Adalind was surprised. It was strange and sweet, the way he said it. He whispered it, almost like he was making a confession. Like he was talking about a first kiss. And Adalind supposed her woge was a first kiss of sorts, one that initiated him into the whole new world of wesen and magic.

"Everyone's been after Diana the minute she was born. No actually, even before then," said Adalind through mouthfuls of turkey. "Will anyone want this new child? Will there be any reason for anyone to want this child?"

Nick retreated to his heavy pensiveness for a minute. "I don't know. We don't even know how he will turn out, if he will have any special powers that people will covet… But if they Royals regroup and want revenge, or want information on Diana, he may be a target. We may all be targets."

"But we don't know where Diana is." Tears were welling up in Adalind's eyes.

"They don't know we don't know where Diana is."

Adalind put the rest of her sandwich down and shoved the plate away. Whether or not this child was "special" in his own right, he would never be safe because he was Diana's half-brother. He would never be safe as the child of a Grimm who took down the commander of the Verrat and, as far as the royals know, the King. Adalind knew she had to protect this new baby. As she looked at the man across the table from her, she felt ever so grateful that she did not have to do this alone.


	6. Chapter 6: The Warning

**Chapter 6: The Warning**

The next day, Adalind was reading on the small sofa in the backroom of the spice shop when she heard the door chimes jingling at the arrival of a customer.

She heard Rosalee call out, "Welcome to the…" followed by a surprised gasp of "Agent Chavez!"

Adalind immediately scrambled to her feet and ran out to the foyer. She had not seen or talked to that woman ever since she disappeared the night Juliette died. Chavez looked the same the last time Adalind saw her. Absolutely the same, down to her shoes. "Do you have news about Diana?"

Chavez shook her head. "We lost track of them outside of Seattle. We had possible sightings in Colorado, California and Arizona, but no concrete leads at this point."

Adalind tried to hide her disappointment, but she was too tired and too pregnant to keep up appearances. "So why are you here?" It came out a bit harsher than she had intended to sound.

"To share some information with you," Chavez replied. "The resistance is getting restless. They know the King is dead and the Verrat neutered and they want to strike while the iron's hot. But the resistance is also fragmented. There are so many factions and the leaders are all jockeying for power. Each one wants a Grimm on their team. Nick is hot commodity right now. Especially since the word out there is that he has the keys. These guys want Nick to pledge his allegiance."

Rosalee signaled to both women to walk to the backroom. "Have you talked to Nick?"

"I called him and he's on his way here now. But before he gets here, I want to ask YOU, Adalind, where you stand."

Adalind felt tired and irritated. She stared at Chavez for a few seconds, then said, "I don't know anything except everyone is trying to take my children from me. I don't know who is in the resistance or what each group wants or what they even stand for. I just want my daughter back and I want to keep my son safe."

"I personally give you my word. We will protect you and keep your baby safe. We will find Diana. We will not separate you from your children. I am asking you to stand with us in this Wesen insurgency."

"Why would you care where I stand?" asked Adalind.

"To be frank, we are more interested in where Nick stands. But since you'll soon be the mother of his child, we were hoping that your opinion would mean something to him. It would be very helpful for us if you could convince Nick, for your and the baby's sake, to work with us."

"Is that a threat?" asked Rosalee, who stepped in protectively between Chavez and Adalind, hands crossed over her chest. A warm wave of appreciation washed over Adalind.

The jingle at the door announced Nick's arrival. Chavez acknowledged him with a small nod as he approached and continued, "No, on the contrary, I wanted to make sure that her safety is not compromised."

Nick jumped right in, "Compromised? What are you talking about?"

"The Reformistisch faction want you on their team, Nick. Or maybe they just want the keys. Rumor has it that you've got a few. You are on the radar of the Freiheit and the fledgling group out east as well. We got word that the Reformistisch is making active plans to take your baby into their….uh… _custody,_ to ensure your cooperation, Nick. You are not safe, Adalind Schade. You know the ob-gyn you were at yesterday? A lot of the staff at that hospital have ties to the Reformistisch."

"You were following us?" Nick asked, his voice rising in volume now. "Why the hell should we trust you?"

"Your friend Trubel is working with us. Your mother used to work for us. We have the same enemies, Mr. Burkhardt."

"I did not know whom my mother was working for," said Nick, his voice choking up.

"There will be a time when you will have to choose a side, Mr. Burkhart. And that time will come soon. You know where to find us. In the meantime, keep your eyes open." Chavez nodded at Adalind. "They'll be after her and the new one."

"We're done here, Agent Chavez." Nick gestured towards the door.

Chavez gave him a tight smile, turned and left. Rosalee followed Chavez to the front door and bolted it shut, flipping the "OPEN" sign to "CLOSED" before returning to the backroom. Nick stared intensely at the door through which Chavez just left, his eyebrows furrowed in anger and worry. Adalind looked pale as a ghost.

"Are you ok?" Rosalee asked. Nick snapped out of his stupor and looked over at Adalind, whose face was twisted in a tight grimace.

"Yeah, Yeah. I'm OK. I don't feel so good. It's just a lot to take in and I'm beyond stressed now. I'm sure it'll pass." Adalind felt nauseous as another stretch of dull ache ran from her pelvis down to her feet.

Nick was not comforted by her response. "Do you want me to take you to the hospital?"

"No, no." Adalind said hurriedly, her face paler than ever. "We can't. Didn't you hear what she just said? I don't trust anyone I don't know. No hospital."

"No hospital?" echoed Rosalee. "But, what….how…where are you going to deliver the baby when the time comes?"

Adalind looked up at Rosalee, her eyes pleading. "You're just going to have to deliver this baby, Rosalee, when the time comes. And judging from the way I'm feeling right now, that time may come very soon."

It was Rosalee and Nick's turn to turn pale.

All of a sudden, a dark figure emerged at the doorway. A loud "Hi gang!" rang out, startling Rosalee into a full woge, prompting Nick to reach for his gun, and causing Adalind to almost fall off the sofa.

"Whoa!" Monroe yelled out, waving his arms above his head in surrender. "It's me. It's me. Chill out guys, what has gotten into you?"

"Chavez was just here," sighed Rosalee. "To deliver a warning." They filled him in on their recent conversation with the FBI agent. For the rest of the afternoon, the four shared what they knew about the Wesen resistance landscape. To Monroe's surprise, Adalind was completely clueless about the politics of the Wesen community.

"I knew Nick was a newbie, but Adalind, I thought you'd know a bit more than this," Monroe had a slight tone of disapproval in his voice.

Adalind was still too wound up to notice. And the pressure she felt in her pelvis was not dissipating at all. She shrugged and said, "All I ever wanted to do was make my mother happy. And all my mother ever wanted from me was to serve Sean's cause."

The pressure in her pelvis was morphing into sharp stabbing pain now. She reached out and grabbed Nick's hand, giving it a good, hard squeeze.

"Ahh!" Nick shouted. "What is it?"

Rosalee glanced over at Adalind. "Oh my god. It's time."


	7. Chapter 7: The delivery

**Chapter 7: The Delivery**

It had just started to rain when Chavez left the Spice Shop earlier in the afternoon, but it was full on thunderstorm-ing now. Adalind paced back and forth in the Spice Shop basement, stopping every once in a while at the potions table to take deep breaths. Nick followed about two steps behind her, and it seemed to Adalind that he was asking if she was alright about every ten seconds.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Nick asked yet again.

"No," Adalind growled. "You heard that woman. Do you know how easily someone can kidnap a baby from the hospital? Even with your police people hanging around? Better safe than sorry. And seriously, just get out of my way." And she just kept on pacing. The last child was so much easier—only six months of pregnancy and labor was over in twenty minutes, start to finish. This one was taking its sweet, sweet time. Adalind glanced at the clock. Six hours in and the contractions had only started to speed up.

They decided to have the baby at the Spice Shop, so Rosalee would have access to all sorts of potions and herbs lest any of them came in handy. Over the past few hours, Monroe and Rosalee had transformed the basement into a birthing center. The small couch that Adalind presumed she'd be giving birth on was covered in lots of sheets and towels; there was a small basin in which to wash the baby; and finally, there was a small suitcase of onesies, diapers and Adalind's clothes that Nick had picked up from their house earlier.

"Adalind," said Rosalee, "Do you want some ice cubes? I've also got some skullcap root for you to chew on, it can help soothe the pain. Monroe, get some ice cubes from the freezer." A nervous Monroe knocked over a small cauldron, tripped over the area rug and nearly fell down the stairs as he followed his wife's orders.

"Men." Rosalee shook her head and looked over at Nick, who looked as lost and nervous as Monroe.

A deep sharp pain shot up Adalind's belly and she fell to her knees. "Ugh….I think this is it."

Rosalee took charge right away. She gestured for Nick to carry Adalind to the couch. Monroe was then sent upstairs to boil water, which, Rosalee whispered to Adalind, was just a ploy to get him out of the way. Rosalee asked Nick to move over to Adalind's head and just hold her hand. Things all of a sudden started to move at lightning speed.

Rosalee's voice trembled with excitement, "Um wow, okay, Adalind, you're ready to push. On the count of three. Take a deep breath and one, two, three…"

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW." Nick screamed as Adalind pulled his hand to her mouth and took a good old bite.

"Good. Good. Oh he's coming," Rosalee shouted over Nick's whimpering. "He's coming fast. Another push, ok? On three. One, two, three, push!"

Nick pushed a small towel towards Adalind's mouth in anticipation of another chomp down. This time, Adalind just opened her mouth in a silent scream. A small flicker of Hexenbiest rippled over her face, ever so faintly, and disappeared just as quickly as it came. And when Nick looked over his shoulder, he saw Rosalee pull out a grayish, whitish, bloody and messy mass.

"He's here," said Rosalee, "He's out! And in his amniotic sac. Quick, Nick, scissors, quick."

Nick did not remember how or where he found the scissors—his fingers were trembling so—but he handed them over to Rosalee. With the slightest touch, the sac burst open and there he was. His son. The baby started wailing right away.

Adalind was crying and laughing, "Is he ok?"

"Ten fingers and ten toes! This kid's got some lungs. Nick, cut the umbilical cord." Said Rosalee, her hands still shaking. "And Monroe, come down here with that water!"

Rosalee wrapped the baby in a soft warm towel and handed him to Nick. Nick was surprised at how light the baby was. He had stopped wailing but was now flailing around in Nick's arms.

"Yes, those are your arms," he said quietly and handed the baby to the weary Adalind. Tears of relief and joy streamed down her face as she kissed the newborn on the forehead.

"Oh sweet baby," she kept murmuring, as she ran her fingers along his face. At that moment, it occurred to Nick that he had never seen anything more beautiful.

"It's auspicious, you know," said Monroe when he returned with the warm water. "To be born with the amniotic sac intact. It's called an _en caul_ birth. They say those born _en caul_ are destined for greatness."

"Oh great," said Adalind, as she rolled her eyes. "Another child destined for greatness."

After cleaning up the baby and Adalind, Monroe and Rosalee went home. It was well into the wee hours of the morning, and everyone was beyond exhausted. Nick was sprawled on the floor next to Adalind's couch, keeping vigil over mother and child.

"What are we going to name him?" Nick yawned as he reclined against the foot of the couch.

"I was thinking that you should name him," Adalind said softy, as she took a whiff of the sweet scent from the baby's head.

Nick looked over at the small little bundle in Adalind's arms. Still red and bloated, it was too early to tell who he looked like-but he definitely had the signature dark brown curls of the Burkharts.

"Jacob," he said. "Jacob Reed Burkhart."


	8. Chapter 8: The delivered

**Chapter 8: The Delivered**

Meisner opened the fridge and was happy to see it well-stocked with produce, milk and juice. He is already here, thought Meisner. He pulled a small roll of duct tape out of his bag, pulled off two long strips and pasted a small X in on the front window of the house. He returned to the kitchen and came back with a small cup of grapes for Diana. She smiled, shook her head and went back to her coloring.

Meisner sat down on the couch with a small glass of whiskey. Slipping past the border had been easier than he had thought. He had planned to carry Diana through a rugged hill pass that was under-guarded, but when they had arrived at the border, he was dismayed to find three border patrol men on active duty. Meisner had been debating on whether to turn around or take the men down, when all of a sudden, all three men just dropped flat onto the ground. Unconscious, but alive. When he had turned around, he had seen those familiar violet eyes. The same eyes that had watched the King plummet to his death.

Soon, his mission would be over. He was going to miss that child. He had delivered her into the world and here he was again to deliver her to her place in this Wesen game. It was a game that had swept him up when he lost Elena. His beautiful Elena. His fuschbau shot straight in the heart by a Jundjager, after weeks of torture by the royals. He had promised to avenge her and he had never looked back.

A knock on the door pulled him straight back to the present. Diana's eyes glowed violet. Meisner crept slowly to the window as he pulled his gun out of its holster. He was here. Meisner pulled the door open and in walked Sean Renard.


	9. Chapter 9: The fox

**Chapter 9: The Fox**

Sean Renard walked in and quickly surveyed the room with his eyes before turning them on Meisner. Always alert, thought Meisner. "How was the trip down here? No one's followed you?" asked Renard.

"No," replied Meisner, shutting the door quickly behind him. "We did have to knock down a few patrolmen when we crossed the border, but they didn't see us, so we shouldn't have anyone on our tail. I've been off-grid this entire time, made no contact with Vienna. No one knows we're here. "

"Good, then we can stay a bit longer at this safe house," Renard said as he walked over to the blonde child at the coffee table. "Diana—I cannot believe how much you've grown."

Diana stopped her coloring and looked up at him straight in the eye. She had an air of cool neutrality about her—she seemed neither happy nor wary about his presence. She simply looked at him.

"What happens now?" asks Meisner.

"My mother is coming here to take care of Diana. I need to head back to Portland before any suspicions are raised. You'll be slipping back into the US and traveling east. Plant some tracks once you're far enough from here to throw off the scent. Then catch a flight from New York to Vienna. I'll have Dominic pick you up there. You'll have to go underground for a bit."

"When do we take down Victor?" Meisner asked, through gritted teeth. Elena's broken body flashed through his mind.

"Not yet. Not till I get the keys from the grimm. Once we have those, we will make a move on the House." Renard shot Meisner a sly smile. "Don't worry—I'll leave Victor to you. You will avenge your fiancée with your own hands."

Meisner nodded, "What about the grimm? You once told me that having him on your side was more important to you than the keys."

"We don't need the grimm anymore," said Renard, as he turned to face his daughter. "We have her."

Diana looked up sharply from her coloring and her eyes once again glowed violet. Meisner held his breath. As much as he liked that child, he was also apprehensive of her powers. Diana stood up and walked slowly to the front entrance. The knob began turning on its own and the door pulled back to reveal Renard's mother, her left hand raised, as if she was ready to knock.

"Why you must be Diana," said Elizabeth Lascelles, with a smile. Diana was just as expressionless as she was with her father. Elizabeth reached down for the little girl's hand and to Meisner's surprise, Diana took it immediately. Together, the duo made their way to the two men.

"My darling," she said as she moved in to give Renard a kiss on the cheek, "the future King Renard."


	10. Chapter 10: The deliberation

**Chapter 10: The Deliberation**

Nick was not sure how much he slept, but it couldn't have been more than half an hour. It wasn't so much that Jacob was crying. In fact, the newborn had been sleeping contently next to his mother all this time. What kept Nick up was every little noise his super hearing picked up. With every rustle or creak, Nick would listen for a footstep, a breath or any sign of human or Wesen lurking near.

"Keep your eyes open," Chavez had said, and these words were now on repeat in his head. "I couldn't possibly protect them alone," thought Nick. "I'd have to ally with somebody, to make sure Jacob is monitored at all times. Especially since Adalind had lost her powers." For a brief second, Nick considered exploring the possibility of having Adalind reinstate them, but he shook off the thought immediately. He was not excited about the prospect of living with a Hexenbiest, or having his son raised by one. He quite liked Adalind the way she was. Well, maybe _like_ was still too strong a word, but at least he felt at ease around her now.

Actually, for the most part, Nick did not know how he felt about anything these days. Ever since the gruesome discovery of his mother's head, he had been walking through life in a haze, looking at everything through a dark filter, which made every interaction and experience leaden, weighing him down, down, down until he felt nothing. Numb. That feeling would, however, be interrupted by sudden spikes of rage that clawed at this throat, only to give way to guilt that wrenched his stomach, which in turn converged into despair that pressed relentlessly on his chest, crushing his ribcage and milking the air out of his lungs until he physically gasped for breath. But there had been moments of reprieve, like the night Adalind pulled him close in his bed, the sound of Jacob's heartbeat, and the first time he held his son. It felt like a betrayal to Juliette to acknowledge the fact that Adalind was part of the only good in his life at the moment. But then, hadn't Juliette betrayed him? His mother? Their love?

Nick went over to the small fridge where Monroe kept his favorite german beers and opened a bottle. He couldn't afford to be consumed by his grief anymore. He had more important things to think about, like finding an ally to protect his son. Historically, Grimms were the freelance police in the Wesen world and alliances had always fallen into the "brief and convenient" category. Grimms' only loyalty was to the safety of humankind. As a Grimm, he did not care to join forces with any Wesen resistance. But as a father, especially one of a half-Zauberbiest, Nick knew he had to choose a side.

In his mind, Nick began to run through the conversation he had with the gang right before Adalind went into labor. Nick was told that Chavez worked with the Laufer, who were fed up by the lawlessness of the royals and wanted to neutralize them by wiping out their Wesen army. As far as Monroe and Rosalee knew, the Laufers preferred to leave the dynamics of the existing Wesen - human world order the same.

The Reformistisch was originally part of the Laufer movement, but due to increasingly differing worldviews, broke apart a few years back. The Reformistisch was more extreme, advocating the overturn of the the Gesetzbuch Ehrenkodex, i.e. "outing" the Wesen community to the humans. This faction saw the current state of affairs to be a repression of the Wesen community. They envisioned a world where Wesen could openly be themselves, and co-exist harmoniously with humans. This group's efforts were mainly focused on developing a more sophisticated Wesen Council, establishing clear regulations, boundaries and appropriate enforcement capacity to maintain the order of a new Wesen-human paradigm.

Lastly, there was the Freiheit, the most troubling development in the resistance. This radical group believed in an inherent superiority of Wesens over humans. Unlike the level-headed Reformistisch, the Freiheits did not plan on changing the legal or regulatory infrastructure of the world to liberate the Wesen. Instead, there was every indication that the group intended to do so via sheer force. The group were rallying around this one personality named Bunt, a Löwen who was calling for a complete eradication of the royal families as their first step towards world domination. As far as Nick was concerned, this faction had to be eliminated. Fast.

If he were to stay true to the primal objective of a Grimm—to protect humans from unruly Wesen—then joining the Laufer was the only option that made sense. What Chavez said was true, they did have common enemies. The King may be dead, but Victor was still very much alive. And he was just as eager as Chavez to retrieve Diana, to continue with his mother's mission—to raise her as a force of good in this world. He would also need the Laufer's help to squelch the Freiheit insurgency.

Nick walked back over to the couch, where Adalind and their son were still slumbering. He picked up his cellphone and made his call.


End file.
